After the Graveyard Shift
by laughnsmile96
Summary: A coffee shop au inspired by a post on tumblr. Link to the post is inside


**Inspired by this post: brolininthetardis tumblr com/post/51732496539/this-is-a-coffeeshop-au-screaming-to-be-brought**

**Thank you so much to knight-mordred for beta-ing my story & helping me out with the story itself.**

**This is my first fic for Star Trek & in a long time. Hope you enjoy. :)**

* * *

"Oh my god Nyota! You can't just do that! They'll probably FIRE me!" James gasps, unable to pull his gaze away from the sign propped up outside the coffee shop.

Nyota grins, shrugs, and pats his shoulder on her way inside. "It's fine, Jim. They'll find it funny. I doubt they'll fire you over this."

James glowers after her, looking all the world like a sad puppy, and follows her inside. "You better hope so."

* * *

_I need coffee! _Leonard thinks as he collapses on the sofa, taking a break from standing up for so long. After his last shift, made eight hours longer by a doctor who couldn't make it, and therefore the hospital thought keeping Leonard on site was the solution, he's dead tired. As Leonard begins to relax into the plush cushions, a buzzing sounds. Leonard sighs and gets up, grabbing his phone from his coat that lies over the chair by the table.

He unlocks his phone and opens the text message from Scotty.

_Hey! I know you're just about done with the graveyard shift & you might need some coffee. Here's the address to a nice coffee shop that's near the hospital._

_*The Enterprise_

_1701__ on the corner of McCray street and 2__nd__ street*_

Leonard texts Scotty back, a small smile of gratitude on his lips.

_Thanks. :)_

He drags his tired body off the sofa, changes out of his scrubs into his normal clothing and walks, on his way to The Enterprise. After a few minutes of walking he finds at his right side is The Enterprise, exactly where Scotty said it would be, with a board in front of it. What it says make Leonard do a double take.

He must be hallucinating.

_Today your barista is:_  
_1. Hella fucking gay._  
_2. Desperately single._  
_  
_  
_Today's recommendation:_  
_Leaving me your phone number._

His eyebrows arch up in amusement, and he steps into the coffee shop, intrigued by the sign, and heads towards the counter.

Behind the counter stands the man, presumably the one mentioned on the sign outside. The man nearly takes Leonard's breath away. There is no way he's single. Gay, possibly, but not single. With _those _freckles and _those _brilliant blue eyes, there is no way he's single. It must be a joke, or maybe the sign was talking about someone else. Another barrista. A less attractive one.

Leonard walks up to the counter slowly, trying to gauge the look in the man's eyes. "One large black coffee please." Leonard orders.

"Anything else?" askes the barista with a bright smile. Leonard leans forward subtly, catching the name on his nametag: James.

"Nope." He mutters numbly, staring at the man.

"Ok. I'll go and get you the coffee." James smiles, making his eyes spark, brighter even than they had been before... if that was possible with those glasses of his already intensify his eyes.

Leonard is so screwed.

* * *

Jim bounces to the back room, stopping in front of his coworker with a wicked grin. "Ny, He's so hot! Those hazel eyes! And his southern drawl! I think I may be in love."

Nyota looks up, a small smile dancing on her lips, which she quickly conceals behind an eye roll.

"Jim. Stop thinking about him for a minute and give him that coffee he asked for. He looks like he needs it asap."

"But Ny, he's so gorgeous. And he's wearing guy liner!" Jim gushes, eyes wide and sparkling with excitement as a soft blush flushes his cheeks.

"Jim. Coffee. Now." Nyota says sternly, narrowing her eyes on him.

"Fine." Jim whines, rolling his eyes in imitation of her before accepting the coffee and slipping back out to the front of the shop.

As soon as he's gone, Nyota allows a smile to slip onto her face.

* * *

When Jim gets back, he sees Leonard sitting a table with his head down. Jim walks over with a coffee mug full of coffee and sits it down gently in front of the stranger. And then gently shakes him when noticing the man is nearly asleep."Hey! Here's your coffee."

Leonard jolts out of his stupor, taking in the sight of the steaming black coffee sitting in front of him and James the barrista leaning over him, a concerned look in his eyes. "Thanks. Sorry I feel asleep on you, kid. I just got off the graveyard shift."

The boy's seemingly signature smile lights his face again and he leans back, nodding his head in understanding. "You're welcome. And it's no big deal. I was only gone for a minute or so."

Leonard smiles in thanks and picked up his cup of coffee, blowing on it before taking a sip. He glances at James out of the corner of his eye. "So about that board outside. What's the deal with it?"

James blushes softly and rubs the back of his head, messing up his already messy hair. "I haven't dated in a while so Ny though it she'd put it up."

* * *

As James waves goodbye to Leonard McCoy, or he aptly decided to call him, Bones, the doctor he had shared the last half an hour chatting with over coffee, he notices something dark written on the side of the coffee mug. He picks it up, examining the writing. Slowly, a blinding smile slips across his lips. Bones must have written it when James went to help another customer.

"Ny! It worked!" Jim yells as Nyota walks into the store front, arms full of bags of coffee beans.

She grins at him. "Of course it did. Did you doubt me, Jim?"

"Just a bit. But I owe you, Ny. Thank you so much!" He hugs her tightly, surprising the woman, but she quickly hugs him back.

* * *

After Jim left to clean up the store, Nyota discretely pulls out her phone and sent a text.

_Scotty, our plan worked. The ship has sailed. They hit off quite nicely & Leo ended up give Jim his number._


End file.
